


Depends Who You Ask

by friedzoanthrope



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Humanstuck, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-04
Updated: 2012-05-07
Packaged: 2017-11-04 20:18:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/397821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friedzoanthrope/pseuds/friedzoanthrope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sollux is a programmer working freelance from his small apartment. Needless to say, he doesn't get out much. His friends are worried he's becoming too reclusive, but he ignores their concerns. However, he finds it a bit more difficult to ignore his new, extremely annoying neighbor, Eridan Ampora.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Neighbors

|  | 

Sollux Captor took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, looking away from his computer screen for the first time in hours. After returning his glasses to his face, he looked over at the window, noticing that light was slipping in around the curtains.    
   
He mumbled to himself and ran his hands through his short black hair, flipping it up in the back. Looking at his computer's clock he saw that it was nearly 9AM. Once again, the programmer had spent his entire night on the computer. He had played World of Warcraft with some friends until around midnight, and then worked on a project the rest of the night. This was pretty common occurrence, but he still found himself a bit disappointed when he finally noticed that it was morning. With a sigh, he got up from his desk and walked over to his bed. He lived in a small studio apartment, more akin to a dorm room than an actual apartment. It was just the one room, and a small kitchenette and bathroom. He found it convenient to be able to get up from his desk and walk five steps to the bed, or ten to the kitchen. So the lack of space was never really a problem. He flopped down on his bed, set his glasses on the nightstand, and clumsily pulled some blankets over himself before dozing off.   
   
Sollux woke with a start when he heard a loud crash in the hallway, followed by a string of swears. He sat up and checked his phone for the time. Only 10AM, he had hardly had time to sleep at all. He put his glasses on and climbed out of bed, curious to see what woke him up from his much needed rest. He opened the door and poked his head into the hall, seeing a couch diagonally lodged in the staircase leading up from the main door. He smirked, amused by what a shitty job someone was doing moving their furniture in. He approached the staircase and peered down over the couch to see who was responsible for this mess.   
   
Sollux noticed that the other man looked to be about his age, mid twenties, and was dressed like a total douche. He had a purple streak in his heavily styled hair, he was wearing hipster glasses, and a scarf, even though it was summer. For a moment, Sollux just watched and let the man continue to struggle and swear as he pushed against a couch that wasn't going anywhere.   
   
"God fuckin' damnit. W-why w-won't this piece a shit couch move?"   
   
"Because you're just pushing it into the wall, dumbass." The other man looked up and saw Sollux standing at the top of the stairs with a smug look on his face. He looked flustered that someone had seen him in his desperate and pathetic couch struggle.   
   
"Who the fuck are you? I don't remember askin' for your opinion." He blurted out, obviously still frustrated. Sollux noticed that this guy had been stuttering his w's before, but even when he stopped he still had a funny way of talking. It was as if he had an accent he was trying to cover up. It sounded like it could be European, but he couldn't place it. The other man started gently running his hands over his purple-streaked hair, making sure not a single strand was out of place. Sollux rolled his eyes.   
   
"Well, all your fucking yelling woke me up. And it looks to me like you're moving into 209." he said, gesturing to the door to 209 which was propped open. "I'm in 208, so I guess that makes me your neighbor. Well, I have better things to do than watch you make a fool of yourself, have fun with your couch." Sollux waved his hand dismissively and turned around walking back to his apartment and slamming the door.   
   
"What a douchebag." He said to himself, pleased to be back in his dim apartment. On his way back to the computer, he grabbed an energy drink from the fridge. He hadn't gotten much sleep, but he figured there wasn't much point in trying to go back to sleep with that tool banging around and yelling in the hallways. He turned his computer back on and Pesterchum auto-launched. Before he got a chance to close it, he was receiving a message. 

\-- apocalypseArisen  [AA] began pestering twinArmageddons [TA] at 10:08 --  
  
AA: hi s0llux  
TA: oh hey, AA. that wa2 fa2t ii ju2t got onliine.  
AA: i kn0w i needed t0 catch y0u bef0re you l0gged 0ff  
AA: y0u havent been 0nline hardly at all lately  
AA: ive been w0rried ab0ut y0u  
TA: iive ju2t been busy wiith work and 2tuff.  
AA: yeah and i havent seen y0u in tw0 m0nths  
TA: 2hiit, AA. iim 2orry.   
TA: iim beiing a 2hiity friiend.   
AA: n0 y0ure n0t   
AA: but y0u sh0uld get lunch with me this weekend  
AA: we need t0 catch up  
TA: well, okay ii gue22.   
AA: i kn0w i kn0w   
AA: i sh0uldnt lecture y0u like this   
AA: i just talked t0 karkat yesterday and he hadnt heard fr0m y0u in f0rever either   
AA: i kn0w y0ur w0rk keeps y0u busy but when was the last time y0u even left y0ur apartment?   
TA: well, ii was in the hallway about 5 miinute2 ago, before that... not for a whiile.   
AA: see? i kn0w y0u t00 well   
AA: wait why were y0u in the hall?   
TA: 2ome asshat ii2 moviing iin next door.   
TA: he woke me up tryiing to pu2h hii2 couch up the 2taiir2.   
TA: you wouldnt beliieve thi2 guy, AA.   
AA: g0 0n   
TA: hes got dark brown haiir wiith a dyed purple chunk right iin the front, 2triiped pants, a 2carf iin 2ummer, and tho2e retarded hiip2ter gla22e2.   
TA: thii2 guy is a complete tool.   
TA: looks liike 2ome kiind of 2poiiled riich kiid liiviing off hii2 parent2 money and probably pur2uiing hiis "artii2tiic pa22iion" or 2ome other dumb bull2hiit.    
AA: wait a scarf?   
AA: it is like 90 degrees 0utside   
TA: ii know.   
AA: wow y0ull have t0 invite me 0ver s0metime t0 see this guy that just s0unds t0tally ridicul0us   
TA: oh, iit wa2.   
TA: but anyway, how ii2 2chool goiing for you?   
AA: pretty g00d   
AA: im getting ready t0 graduate and get 0ut 0f here th0ugh   
AA: just 0ne m0re year and ill have my masters! 0_0   
TA: that face alway2 confu2e2 me.   
TA: iis iit 2uppo2ed two be 2hocked or horriifiied or 2omethiing? oh god AA dont panic iit wiill be okay!  
AA: y0u kn0w i cant make it l00k any better 0u0   
TA: ew, that ii2 2o much wor2e.   
TA: every tiime ii thiink that a diifferent face miight be an iimprovement,   
TA: you have to 2end me that horriible thing.   
AA: y0u sh0uld kn0w better by n0w   
AA: well i have t0 get t0 class   
AA: remember lunch 0n saturday   
AA: ill text y0u the details 0kay?   
TA: okay, AA, 2ound2 good.   
TA: 2ee you later.   
AA: bye 0u0   
TA: no. stop.   
   
\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] ceased pestering twinArmageddons [TA] \--   
   
Sollux closed out the client, not really feeling like chatting with anyone else right now. Karkat was online and he didn't want another lecture. He exhaled deeply and looked up at the ceiling. Was he really being that reclusive? He could have sworn he just hung out with Karkat... last... no... three months ago? Three months, how could it be that long? They don't even live that far from each other. Maybe he was blowing off his friends by just sitting in his room for days on end. He knew he should try harder to get out, but even now he was finding it had to find the motivation to leave this room at all. He wasn't even all that excited about lunch with Aradia, and he felt like such a jerk because he knew he should be. It just felt like the more time he spent locked away from people in his room, the more he wanted to keep to himself. Aradia has a way of making him get out, but she's so busy with her archeology Master's, that she can't always keep an eye on him anymore. He took another drink of his Monster, not even enjoying the flavor, just trying to get caffeine in his system as quickly as possible. He was an adult, and he shouldn't really need someone "keeping an eye on him." It made him feel pathetic whenever he thought too hard about what he was doing with his life.    
   
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, and Sollux had a feeling he knew who it was.   
   
"Go away! I'm not here." He yelled towards the door, hoping this guy could take a hint.   
   
"What? Yes you are! You just said that. Just answer the door already! I need to talk to you."   
   
More knocking on the door.   
   
"Theriously, er... Seriously," Sollux quickly corrected his lisp. He had taken speech therapy so it wasn't much of a problem any more, but if he didn't   
pay attention sometimes he'd slip up. "I'm not going to open that door."   
   
"Well, I guess I'm goin' to have to keep knockin' then!"   
   
Knock, knock, knocknocknock.   
   
Sollux sighed. This douchebag was awfully persistent. He decided he might as well see what he wants.   
   
"Okay fine," Sollux said opening the door, "What the fuck do you want?"   
   
The man on the other side of the door looked somewhat surprised to see it open. As if he wasn't actually expecting the knocking to work.  
   
"Oh, um. Well, I'm Eridan Ampora. And seeing as you're goin' to be my neighbor, I figured a proper introduction was in order."   
   
Sollux stared for a moment at the outstretched hand in front of him. Was that seriously all this guy wanted? To introduce himself? He realized he hadn't said or done anything and Eridan was starting to look confused with his hand still extended.   
   
"Okay.... I'm Tholl- Sollux. I'm Sollux." Sollux cursed his lisp under his breath. They shook hands briefly, and he noticed the absurd number of rings this Eridan guy was wearing. The handshake ended in several seconds of awkward silence and Sollux was getting ready to turn around and go back inside when Eridan spoke up.   
   
"So then, do you think you could help me with this couch?"   
   
"No. NO. Fuck no! You still haven't gotten it up the stairs? How can you be this bad at things? For that matter, how did you even get up here to my door? That thing was blocking the entire fucking staircase."   
   
"I uh... crawled under it." Eridan admitted sheepishly. Sollux had to try not to laugh at this idiot. "Look, if you help me out I'll order a pizza for us or some shit. I just have to finish movin' by 3PM when the truck is due back. I thought I could handle movin' all a this stuff by myself but I obviously can't."   
   
"Why don't you call up a friend and offer them pizza?" This question seemed to catch Eridan off guard. He looked almost hurt for a moment before quickly reverting back to a more reserved expression.    
   
"Look Sol, do you want fuckin' pizza or not?" Eridan barked and crossed his arms defensively.   
   
Moving furniture sucks, but Sollux was never one to turn down free pizza. Especially since he had just been eating snacks for the last couple days. The promise of real food was quite alluring.   
   
"Okay fine. But I don't need your stupid nickname. My name isn't that long, I really don't think it needs to be shortened." Sollux adjusted his glasses and shut his door.   
   
"Whatever you say, Sol." Eridan emphasized the nickname he had created and smiled triumphantly as he walked back over to the couch, still suspended half way up the stairs. Sollux sighed, trying to remember that he was doing this for the pizza.   
   
"I think if you grab it here, and then we turn it flatways, it should be pretty easy." Eridan said, holding his thumb out at the couch like an artist measuring for a picture.  
   
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"   
   
Sollux shook his head and sighed.  
---


	2. Lunch

Eridan had a completely unreasonable amount of stuff.

Fortunately, he had moved most of it in already when Sollux started helping out. Other than a few of the larger pieces of furniture, there wasn't much left to move. Where as Sollux only had a studio apartment, Eridan was moving into a spacious one bedroom. The two men hardly said a word to each other while they moved things, other than a few quick remarks about where things should go and what they should move next. Still, Eridan was true to his word and ordered them a pizza, but Sollux didn't stick around after that. He just grabbed a few slices, put them on a plate, said thanks, and went back to his room. Eridan mumbled something about him being ungrateful and a dick as he left, but Sollux didn't care. He was legitimately exhausted, both emotionally and physically.

For Sollux, interacting with other people always drained his energy. As soon as he started helping Eridan, he regretted it. The hipster jerk had tried to be friendly and make some small talk, but Sollux had let every conversation die. He responded to every question with a short answer and refused to elaborate until Eridan had just quit trying. Other than a few close friends, he didn't really bother talking with anyone else. He liked it that way. Meeting people and getting to know them was not his cup of tea.

He sat back down at his desk with his pizza. Quickly eating the slices and getting back to programming. He had considered going straight back to bed, but this Eridan thing reminded him that rent was due soon, so he really needed to finish up this app and get paid. Sleep could wait.

\---

Saturday came more quickly than he had planned. Sollux had managed to finish his work, get paid, and pay rent, but he was still low on sleep when it was time to meet Aradia. The programmer hated to let her see him like this, running on fumes. She was his best friend, and he hated to make her worry. Dragging himself out of bed, he showered and grabbed another caffeinated beverage from the fridge. The least he could do is try to look presentable and awake.

It was a short bike ride to the sandwich shop Aradia suggested. It was sunny and just breezy enough that the heat didn't bother him. Sollux got there a few minutes early, but Aradia had still beat him there. She always did though, so he wasn't surprised. Her whole face lit up when she saw him walk in the door. She waved excitedly, beckoning him over to the table she had chosen.

"Sollux!" she greeted enthusiastically.

"Hey Aradia." he smiled back at her. He really was excited to see her, and he felt guilty he had put it off for so long.

"You look like you haven't been sleeping much." she commented, pushing her thick wavy hair behind her shoulders.

"I know. I had to finish up a big project so I could pay rent. But I made enough that I can pay next month's rent too. So it was worth it. I can take a bit of a break now. You worry about me too much, AA."

"Well someone has to."

They ate their lunches and talked about what they'd been doing. Sollux was surprised to discover that Aradia had her eyes on a guy at her school, and that she was chosen to go on a trip to Egypt. Apparently, only a top few Archeology students were chosen. She'd be leaving in two months and would get to spend several weeks there. He was having a lot of fun talking to her, but guilt kept sneaking back in, tightening his chest and making him feel a sick. They had been friends as far back as he could remember, and he was practically missing entire chapters of her life. How could he be letting this happen? She must have noticed the look on his face, because she reached across the table and grabbed his hand. A warm look on her face.

"Sollux, I know what you're thinking." He looked up from his plate at her, an anxious look on his face. She gave his hand a squeeze, "You're not being a shitty friend. I've been really busy lately too, you know. I don't blame you for spending time on your computer. You're entitled to enjoy your hobbies and your work, just like I spend a lot of time working at archeology. We're all passionate about things! I just don't want you to fall into depression again... like back in-"

"I know, AA." Sollux cut her off, not wanted to revisit that rough patch. "But seriously, I'm fine. Just because I'm not a social butterfly like you doesn't mean I'm depressed." He tried to say confidently, but it came out with less conviction than he had planned.

"I'm no social butterfly, but I guess it is easier for me to talk to people. I never said you should be like me. Just make sure you're taking care of yourself." She let go of his hand and he sighed, mad at himself for worrying her like this. She shouldn't have to deal with his mood swings. But she did, and he was thankful. The young man still felt guilty, but better than he had in weeks. It was always like this with her. Aradia had such a cathartic effect on him.

Sollux paid the check, despite objections from Aradia that she should pay her half. He teased her about it, and she finally just let him pay. After they got outside of the restaurant, she gave him a big hug.

"Get on Pesterchum later, okay? I have some pictures to send you."

"Fine. We should get together again soon, though. And this time I won't wait two months, okay?"

"Alright, sounds good. I'd like to come over sometime, too. Maybe see Mr. Scarf-in-Summer."

"Oh man, AA. That guy is like a train wreck. It's horrible, and you want to look away, yet you can't help but stare." Aradia laughed and put her helmet on, pulling her hair back out of the way and hopping on her bike. She gave one last wave and then rode off.

Sollux smiled to himself, and got on his bike. He was so glad he met her for lunch. In fact, now that he was out of the house, he wasn't even sure why he was ever so hesitant to go out. The weather was great, and it was kind of refreshing to be out of his room. The programmer was in such a good mood now, so he took the opportunity to stop by the store to pick up some real food on his way home. Cheetos weren't going to provide adequate nourishment for much longer.

\---

As soon as he walked in the front door, he could hear a loud knocking coming from the second floor. He naturally assumed it was more stupid Eridan stuff, but he was surprised when he walked up the stairs to see a young girl pounding on his door.

"Um... Can I help you?" He asked her, uncertain as to why she was so insistent on getting an answer from his door. She gasped and turned around, and Sollux immediately noticed how pretty she was. She had long, dark brown hair, that perfectly framed her face. She was thinner than Aradia, but still a little curvy, and she was wearing the most beautiful jewelry.

"Oh! I didn't see you there! I'm just trying to get my friend to answer his door, but he won't. It's a bit fishy if you ask me. I mean, he's the one who asked me to come over." She turned back to the door and knocked again. "ERIDAN! You answer this door right now!"

"Oh, you're looking for that douchebag. I think I know why he isn't answering. " Sollux remarked.

"You do?" She asked hopefully.

"Yeah. You're knocking on my door." He replied, smirking.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she covered her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed at her mistake.

"Not a problem. He's in 209 there." Sollux gestured to the door that was closer to the staircase.

"I am so sorry..." She paused for a moment to think. "What was your name again?" She leaned forward questioningly, until she was a bit too close to him. Sollux leaned back a little, his personal space invaded.

"I'm Sollux."

"I'm Feferi! I'm so EXCITED to meet you!" The girl grabbed Sollux's hand with both of hers, forcefully shaking it. He tried not to look confused, but he had honestly never met someone with this much energy. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice his concern.

"You're the guy who helped Eridan move, right? He was telling me about you!"

"Oh, yeah. That was me." Sollux said, wondering what exactly Eridan was saying about him.

"I'm so glad he's making friends finally."

"We're not really-"

"I was worried he wouldn't do well on his own." She said, suddenly looking less bubbly and quite a bit more thoughtful. He didn't bother finishing his sentence after that. He didn't have the heart to disappoint her. Sollux wasn't sure what her connection was to Eridan, but he was reminded of the way Aradia worried about him. He figured they must be close, but from what he was seeing now, their personalities couldn't be more different.

"Well, sorry to keep you, Sollux." A huge smile crossing her face when she said his name, making eye contact that Sollux quickly broke.

"It was no trouble. See you around, I guess?" Sollux turned and unlocked his door, eager to be able to put down the heavy groceries he had been holding the whole time. He took a moment to ponder the girl he had just met. Beautiful, friendly, caring, energetic... why would she hang around with Eridan? He pushed the thoughts from his head and put his groceries away.

Just as he was sitting down at his computer he heard a knock at his door. He groaned, it used to be so quiet here. Lately it seemed like everyone was knocking on his door. He walked over and opened it, seeing Feferi looking a bit bashful on the other side.

"Hey Sollux, I just got a text from Eridan. He's out and won't be back for another hour. He knew I was coming over, so I don't know why he left. He can be so shellfish sometimes.” She crossed her arms. “I hate to impose, but do you think I could hang out at your place until he gets back? I'd rather not sit in the hall."

"Um..." Sollux quickly turned his head, his eyes darting around his messy room. Was she making fish puns? Ugh, his room was filthy. Empty cans everywhere. Shit. He could feel a blush forming on his face as panic set in. Why didn't he ever clean this place up?

"Oh, I don't mind if it's a bit messy! I know you weren't expecting a guest." She smiled at him again, apparently able to read minds, too.

"Well, uh. Thure, I gueth." He said quietly, somehow feeling even more self-conscious. He opened the door wider and invited her in, hoping his lisp went unnoticed.

Sollux used to be able to lock himself in this room for weeks at a time with no interruptions. It was nice and quiet and peaceful and dark. He thrived in the solitude of his apartment, a master of code, a hero of Azeroth...

Well, so much for that.


	3. Dualscar

Sollux was surprised how well he got along with Feferi. It turned out that she was actually a really interesting person. It turned out she was studying marine biology at the same college as Aradia. The fish puns were something she did for fun, since she's always been fascinated by aquatic life. It seemed strange at first, but after her explanation it was endearing. They chatted for quite a while about their hobbies and time in school before Sollux finally decided he needed to ask her about her connection to Eridan.

"So, Feferi, how do you know Eridan anyway?"

"We grew up together! We both come from pretty well-off families. In fact, I think our parents wanted us to hang out so much when we were kids so that we would get married when we grew up." She laughed. "You know how rich people can be, with their silly ideas of ensuring a solid 'legacy' or some nonsense."

"Oh, you're not interested in him then?" Sollux asked, still a little confused about the nature of their relationship. It seemed pretty platonic on Feferi's end at least.

"No, not at all. I'm not sure how he feels, though... To me he'll always just be my best friend. I almost think of him as a little brother, even though we're the same age." Feferi replied, glancing quickly at her phone, checking it for texts.

"You're not sure how he feels?" Sollux asked, somewhat curious.

"Well, no. He says we're best friends and nothing more, but he is really clingy and protective of me. I sometimes wonder if he has more romantic feelings for me. I suppose he doesn't really have any other friends, though. So that might explain it too." Feferi's face fell a bit, her eyes looking truly melancholy for the first time since Sollux met her.

"I thought..." she continued, more slowly than before, "That if he moved out on his own he might have more luck making some friends other than me. I encouraged him to go for it when he started talking about it. I feel bad though, he texts me more than ever now. I thought the least I could do is come see his new place. I'm really glad he met you at least!"

"Yeah..." Sollux pulled out his phone and looked at it, trying to find something else to think about for a minute. He was starting to feel bad for walking out on Eridan after the pizza. Especially after seeing how Feferi was so hopeful for a friendship for form between them. Technically, Eridan hadn't done anything wrong other than dress like a douchebag and annoy him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the door abruptly opened and Eridan Ampora burst into the room.

"Fef! W-what the fuck are you doin' here in this asshole's bed?" he yelled, sounding indignant and gesturing wildly with his hands. Feferi had been sitting on Sollux's bed because he didn't have a spare chair, but Eridan made it sound less innocent than that. Sollux rolled his eyes, now people were entering his apartment without even bothering to knock. This just keeps getting better.

"Eridan! Calm down. You weren't even here so I was just hanging out with Sollux. We were just glubbing about feelings and school stuff, isn't that right, Sollux?"

Sollux felt like replying would probably be a bad idea, so he just sat quietly.

"Feelin's?!" Eridan's mouth literally fell open in shock. Sollux couldn't believe the way this guy emoted when he spoke. It was like watching someone overact on a shitty soap opera, but in real life. Sollux snickered to himself at that thought.

"W-what are you laughin' at?" he growled, a bit calmer than before though. "Fef, you shouldn't be glubbin' about anythin' with a jerk w-who just took my kind offerin' a pizza and ran like an asshole."

Feferi had stood up from the bed at this point, straightening her skirt.

"Eridan, you know you can't keep telling me what to do. Now calm down, Mr. Grumpygills. Let's go see your new apartment." Feferi gave Sollux a smile, as if to apologize for her friend's behavior. He smiled back a little.

"See you later, Sollux!" Feferi chirped, grabbing Eridan by the arm and leading him out the door.

"Bye, Sol. You fuckin' asshole." Eridan mumbled, and Sollux saw Feferi lightly kick him just before the door shut.

The programmer turned back to his computer and stared at the desktop for a moment, wondering what the fuck had just taken place in his home. He was going to have to tell Aradia about this. Feferi really wasn't lying when she said that Eridan was protective of her. Maybe he really did have a crush on her. Sollux decided to stand up and lock the door, hoping to avoid any more encounters with his neighbor, who apparently only believed in knocking when the door was locked.

Feferi was nice, though. Sollux found himself opening up to her with relative ease, which was usually very hard for him. Aradia would be proud of him, talking to three different people in one day. He walked into the bathroom before he could realize how pathetic that last thought was. He felt like taking another shower to relax. He threw his clothes on the floor, removed his glasses, and got in, the warm water helping to wash away the day. He was excited to be able to play some World of Warcraft without having to do any more projects for a while. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself a little, the warm water rushing over his face.

It had been a good day, considering. Although, he couldn't believe he had started feeling bad for Ampora when he was talking to Feferi. His ridiculous outburst had been all Sollux needed to remember why he didn't want to talk to that guy. He shut the water off and grabbed a towel, when he realized he could hear voices coming through the bathroom vent. He immediately recognized the voices as Eridan and Feferi.

"I'm sorry, Fef. I didn't mean to make a scene like that. I was just mad that you were hangin' out with that guy when I thought you were supposed to be visitin' me."

"Eridan, you need to get over it. I have other friends! And you should too. I thought you said you were hitting it off with him."

"Well, I thought maybe I was. He was a total dick to me when I was tryin' to get my couch up the stairs, I think I woke him up. But then he agreed to help me move. I thought we could hang out and chat over pizza, and it seemed like he was going to, but he wouldn't talk to me he just left. No one wants anythin' to do with me and you know it."

"That's not true! You just need to try a little harder. You always talk about yourself, maybe try asking other people what they like. Sollux seemed nice to me. He was probably just tired or something."

"Yeah. I guess... So do you want to check out the livin' room? I got the surround sound all set up!"

"Sure!" The voices faded, and Sollux realized he had been standing in the shower eavesdropping. The more he heard, the more pathetic Eridan was starting to sound and the more he felt like maybe it was a dick move to take the pizza and leave. Honestly, he wasn't any good at socializing either, especially not lately. The biggest difference between him and Eridan is that Eridan seemed to actually want to talk to people.

Sollux threw some clothes on and went back to his computer, hoping to catch Aradia. She wasn't there but he caught someone else instead.

\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began pestering twinArmageddons [TA] at 18:08 --

CG: HEY, DICKASS, WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?  
TA: oh, hey kk. niice two talk two you two.  
CG: WOW, YOU TYPE LIKE A JACKASS. SERIOUSLY, THOUGH.  
CG: YOU'VE BEEN SO "OFF THE GRID" LATELY THAT I WAS CONVINCED YOU HAD ACTUALLY DIED.  
CG: I WAS ALREADY PLANNING FUNERAL SERVICES. THEY WERE GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL. I HAD CHOSEN FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS AND EVERYTHING, YOU DOUCHE.  
TA: aww, kk, that2 2o 2weet of you.  
TA: ii am going to wriite iinto my wiill that you are the ONLY per2on allowed to make decii2ion2 reguardiing my buriial.  
CG: FUCK YOU.  
TA: iive ju2t been bu2y wiith 2ome major project2 lately.  
CG: YOU MEAN SITTING ALONE IN YOUR ROOM, BEING AN ANTI-SOCIAL DICK?  
TA: yeah, that.  
CG: FIGURES.  
CG: SO, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?  
TA: ii got a 2hiity new neiighbor who wont leave me the fuck alone.  
CG: YOU DESERVE IT  
TA: 2aw AA today. 2he2 doiing pretty good.  
CG: THAT'S COOL  
CG: THERES GOING TO BE THIS STUPID HOUSEWARMING PARTY FOR GAMZEE NEXT WEEK.  
CG: I'M PRETTY SURE IT IS GOING TO BE COMPLETELY TERRIBLE, BUT I'M FUCKING GOING ANYWAY FOR GAMZEE'S SAKE.  
CG: DO YOU WANT TO BACK ME UP?  
TA: ugh, ii dont know kk.  
TA: who2 goiing two be there?  
CG: FUCK IF I KNOW. PROBABLY EVERYONE.  
CG: COME ON, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MY BACK.  
TA: alriight, a22hole iill be your date.  
CG: CHRIST, YOU SUCK.  
CG: I'LL SEND YOU THE ADDRESS AND SHIT ONCE I FIND OUT.  
TA: 2ounds fiine.  
TA: how2 work at the coffee 2hop?  
CG: YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. WHY DO YOU EVEN BOTHER ASKING? JUST TO TORMENT ME?  
TA: 2till 2ucks then?  
CG: YES  
TA: 2weet.  
CG: NO IT IS NOT SWEET.  
CG: SHIT, I HAVE TO GO.  
CG: LATER.  


\-- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering twinArmageddons [TA] \-- 

For the next several hours, Sollux browsed the internet waiting to see if Aradia was going to get online. He was feeling kind of like he needed to vent about some of the shit that was going on. When it looked like she wasn't going to show, he finally decided to quit waiting and play some WoW. He logged on to his max level forsaken mage, named Psiioniic and started looking for a group for a dungeon, he didn't really need any gear in particular so he was up for anything really. Vriska wasn't online, which was a bit unusual. He'd sometimes go PvP with her, but he rarely PvPed when she wasn't online. He skimmed the LookingForGroup channel.

[4. LookingForGroup] [Fydinz]: LFG TB   
[4. LookingForGroup] [Scriabinn]: NEED HEALS FOR TC   
[4. LookingForGroup] [Dualscar]: LF1M DPS for ICC pst   


Ice Crown Citadel? Who even needs to run that anymore? Probably a group trying to get achievements for the mount. He hadn't done it in a while, so it kind of sounded like fun. He sent Dualscar a whisper.

To [Dualscar]: hey. lvl 85 mage?  
[Dualscar] whispers: sure you'll do  


He accepted the invite and headed for the dungeon. They were just doing the 5-man group content. Dualscar turned out to be a blood elf warlock, which is a weird choice for the party leader, but Sollux didn't think too much of it. Unfortunately, one of their party members was afk. Sollux decided to whisper Dualscar again, he didn't use his 2's in the game because people found it annoying, but he still doubled his i's. He had a duality theme going on that he didn't want to totally give up.

To [Dualscar]: so what are we doiing thiis for? achiievements?  
[Dualscar] whispers: yeah i wwant that mount so fuckin bad  
To [Dualscar]: ii hear you.  
To [Dualscar]: who's the asshole we're waiting on?  
[Dualscar] whispers: no idea he's not from my guild  
To [Dualscar]: iis thiis your maiin? youre only level 83.  
[Dualscar] whispers: yeah i knoww i havvent been able to play much lately  
To [Dualscar]: pfft casual.  
[Dualscar] whispers: hey im wworkin on it just got my own place so i should have a lot more time to play  
To [Dualscar]: niice!  


Once their MIA party member returned, they were able to clear a good deal of content without any trouble. Sollux was pretty impressed with Dualscar. He did a good job leading the group for someone who doesn't play that often. Once the loot was divided and the party was disbanding, Sollux sent Dualscar another whisper.

To [Dualscar]: hey do you have pesterchum? we should keep iin touch.  
To [Dualscar]:ii can help you get to 85 and then we can go do some real content.  
[Dualscar] whispers: im wworkin on it! but yeah, im caligulasAquarium  
To [Dualscar]: cool iim twinArmegeddons. iill add you.  
[Dualscar] whispers: swweet talk to you later then  


He added Dualscar to his in-game friend list too, of course. But Sollux liked to add decent players to his chumroll so he could better schedule play times with them. It had always worked so well with Vriska, he couldn't help but want to do it with other qualified players.

He minimized the game and added CA, trying to pretend that Dualscar's double w's weren't reminding him of Eridan's stutter.  


End file.
